


Do You Want to Build a Snowball

by Lush_Specimen



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Post-Canon, Secret Solenoid, Snowball Fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:15:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22071646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lush_Specimen/pseuds/Lush_Specimen
Summary: After completing their mission on a frozen world, Rodimus wants to have some fun with Ultra Magnus. Little did he realize that he had just challenged the reigning Ultimate Snowball Champion to a snowball fight.My Secret Solenoid gift formagpietoes
Relationships: (could be shippy if you want!), Rodimus & Ultra Magnus
Comments: 6
Kudos: 42
Collections: Secret Solenoid '19-'20





	Do You Want to Build a Snowball

**Author's Note:**

> A Rodimus vs Ultra Magnus snowball fight was one of the given examples when you signed up for Secret Solenoid this year and I really wanted to list it as one of my prompts because it sounded like a lot of fun! [Magpietoes](https://magpietoes.tumblr.com/) possessed the boldness that I lacked and claimed it anyways. When I seen that, I knew that I had to write it! It was destiny!! Since a few of the other prompts featured the Scavengers, they make a guest appearance here as well!
> 
> Thanks for choosing this prompt! It was a blast to write!! I really hope that you enjoy it!

“Heads up, Mags!” Rodimus shouted. He dropped a cut sample of a mysterious iridescent crystal into the prepared container, popped the lid on, and whipped the vial through frigid the air. 

“Please! Be careful!” Ultra Magnus chided. He reached out one large hand and easily caught the small projectile exuberantly thrown towards him before it fell into the deep snow. Pleased to see the Rodimus has clearly labeled the newest sample, Ultra Magnus meticulously placed it into the last slot of the now full crate. “We won’t know the properties of any of these minerals until Anode and Lug complete their analysis. That one could have been explosive!” 

“Doubt it.” Rodimus’ shrugged, peering down from his perch high above on the cliff face. “I cut it with my torch and it seemed just fine!” He grinned and wiggled his flaming fingertips. 

“You did WHAT?!” Ultra Magnus bellowed. His shout echoed off the distant snow-capped mountain peaks. He winced. Spending so much time as Miminus aboard the ship made him forget just how much the Magnus armor magnified his voice. In fact, he rarely wore the armor anymore, reserving it only for occasions like the sample gathering mission today. For purely practical purposes, trudging through deep snow was so much easier when it barely covered his armored feet instead of being up to his small green and white chest. 

“Relax! It’s all good!” Rodimus snickered. “Chiseling them out takes way too long. How many more do we need?” 

“As a matter of fact, that was the last one.” Ultra Magnus beckoned towards Rodimus. “We’re done! Climb down. And please, watch your step! I am not catching you again!” 

Ignoring Rodimus’ whining as he clamored down the icy rock face, Ultra Magnus turned his attention to the filled crate. 

“Rodimus, I’m impressed.” Ultra Magnus nodded as he finished double checking the rows of carefully collected unclassified minerals. 

“Please, Mags!” Rodimus beamed as he hopped safely to the ground, placing his hand dramatically over the metal-flake flames painted on his chest. “What did you expect? I am VERY impressive and you’re not half bad yourself!” 

“Be that as it may,” Ultra Magnus rubbed his chin in contemplation. “I don’t know how we got done so fast. We finished in less than half the time that I had allotted to completing this task. Crankcase isn’t scheduled to pick us up in the shuttle for several more hours.” 

“Awesome!” Rodimus whooped, throwing his hands up in the air. 

“I’m not sure I follow.” Ultra Magnus narrowed his optics. “How does my gross overestimation of time translate into “awesome”?” He made the air quote motion with his massive white armored fingers which set Rodimus to giggling. 

“Duh!” the speedster laughed. “It’s obvs! Because it gives us time to do something fun together! Full disclosure, Mags: Your time estimate would have been spot-on if I didn’t apply a little extra hustle, especially by using my torch! What with the whole adjusting-to-a-new-universe thing, we haven’t had much time to hang out.” 

Ultra Magnus’ cerulean optics flared as he processed the implications of Rodimus’ admission. “So that’s why you volunteered to come with me. When we landed the Lost Light on this ice world for some exploratory missions, I figured that you would have preferred to attempt snow surfing with Riptide and Thunderclash.” 

“Whoa! They’re doing WHAT?!” Rodimus’ optics widened before quickly shaking his head. “Nevermind! Now’s not the time for that! Right now, it’s Rodimags o’clock!” 

“What?” 

“Come on, Mags!” Rodimus scooped a handful of snow and packed it into a loose sphere. “Let’s have some fun! You and me!” He playfully lobbed the snowball at Ultra Magus’ chest where it exploded in a flurry of sparkling snowflakes. 

“If you want to do something fun, we can triple check the samples that we’ve collected so far. What if I missed some punctuation errors?” 

“Aww! You already double-checked them!” Rodimus moaned as he formed another snowball. “That’s like anyone else sextuple checking them. And sextuple is totes a real word! I’ve been studying with Nautica! Let’s play first, then we’ll definitely check them all one more time. I promise!” He chucked his finished snowball at Ultra Magnus, this time striking one of his tall shoulders. 

“Well... I suppose we do have some time to spare.” Ultra Magnus conceded. Rodimus’ infectious excitement was starting to get under his plating. 

“YES!” Rodimus whooped with delight as he nailed Ultra Magnus with another snowball. “SNOWBALL FIGHT!” 

Ultra Magnus brushed the snow from his armor. “We can’t start a game without establishing a few rules first.” 

“Right, right!” Rodimus nodded sagely, scooping up more snow. “Rules! You love those, so let’s set some! How about this one: The person to hit the other with the most snowballs wins!” 

“That’s really more ‘terms of victory’ than ‘rules of engagement’.” Ultra Magnus rolled his optics when a fourth snowball thudded into his chest. Perfectly packed, no ice crystals, with a smooth moderately spherical shape. Rodimus apparently knew his way around a snowball. Perhaps a snowball fight could be f... fu... fun. 

“Better hurry up, Mags!” Rodimus laughed. “I’m already ahead by four points!” 

“Fine,” Ultra Magnus sighed. “We’ll abide by your terms. The person to hit the other with more snowballs wins. Only standard hand-packed snowballs allowed. No Slushballs, Mushballs, Minnesota Specials, Downtown Dog-bombs, Chicago Sliders, Whiskey Coolers or Hawaiian Five-Ohs. Snow Tsunamis may be allowed on a case by case basis.” 

Rodimus snorted, dropping his current snowball half-formed, and doubled over with laughter. 

“Do you agree to those rules?” Ultra Magnus put his hands on his hips. Rules are no laughing matter. 

“Agree?” Rodimus’ vents hitched as he struggled to regain some composure. “Sweet Solus Prime! I don’t even know what all those words mean! How do you know so much about snowballs?” 

“Well,” Ultra Magnus casually reached down and scooped up a massive mound of snow while Rodimus recovered. “I spent quite a bit of time on Earth. Verity loved playing in the snow and she taught me all the secret techniques. I’m not one for bragging, but you've just challenged the all-time Ultimate Snowball Champion.” He lightly compacted the snow in his large armored hands and rounded the edges. Although it appeared small in Ultra Magnus’ grasp, the gigantic snowball already dwarfed Rodimus’ entire frame. Ultra Magnus easily hefted it above his head with one hand and nonchalantly dropped his loosely formed snowball right on top of Rodimus, burying him under an avalanche of fresh powder. “Now it’s four to one.” 

“Oh! It is ON!” Rodimus enthusiastically burst out of the mound of snow only to be plastered by another enormous snowball, burying him once again. 

“Four to two.” A smile tugged at Ultra Magnus face. He hadn’t done anything this ridiculously frivolous in ages. 

A few silent moments passed with no movement from the snow pile. Ultra Magnus’ spark clenched. “Rodimus? Are you okay?” he asked, leaning over where the red speedster disappeared beneath his last volley, lightly pawing at the shimmering icy powder. 

“Never better!” A shout came from his left as another snowball struck the side of his helm. “Woo! Five to two!” 

“How did you-?” 

“Tunneled my way out!” Rodimus grinned, whipping another snowball towards Ultra Magnus. Rodimus whistled in appreciation when he quickly dodged. “You think your snowballs should count as two points on account of them being twice as big as mine?” 

“Twice as big?!” Ultra Magnus held up the humongous snowball that he had just formed. It easily outsized anything that Rodimus had thrown by at least ten times. He tried to suppress it, but he had to laugh. The Magnus armor magnified his laughter and it resounded throughout the frosty valley. Rodimus took advantage of the distraction by lobbing several snowballs at once. Ultra Magnus lightly hopped around, twirling his huge frame to avoid the entire barrage all the while balancing his snowball in one hand. “One snowball counts as one point, regardless of size.” 

Ultra Magnus finishing dodging and swooped to return fire in a single fluid motion while Rodimus yelped and dove for cover. He almost made behind his makeshift snow fort when the giant snowball grazed the tips of his spoiler. 

“That one doesn’t count!” He hollered from his hiding place. 

“Is your spoiler not part of you?” 

“Duh! Of course, it is!” 

“Then it counts!” 

“Ugh! Fine! You’re catching up to me, Mags! I better get serious.” Rodimus popped up with an armful of freshly packed snowballs. He launched them at Ultra Magnus in rapid fire, one after the other. 

Although he appreciated the advanced continuous throw technique, Ultra Magnus’ blue optics widened at the flurry of incoming projectiles. Frantically searching for cover, he took off running. His long strides allowed him to outpace most of the snowballs although a few struck the backs of his legs. When Rodimus ran out of ammunition, Ultra Magnus took the opportunity to go on the offensive. He spun around and raced back towards the red speedster who busied himself forming a bevy of new snowballs. Reaching down to scoop up handfuls of snow as he ran, Ultra Magnus loosely packed each snowball in one hand then threw it in the same motion. Although he lost some accuracy in his haste, he managed to nail Rodimus a few more times. 

Completing his stockpile, Rodimus grinned wildly. “Incoming!” He shouted, right before smacking Ultra Magnus in the face with one of his hastily formed snowballs. He burst into uncontrollable laughter. 

Shaking the snow from his optics, Ultra Magnus took advantage of Rodimus’ debilitating giggle-fit to form another huge snowball, stopping short of the size of a Minnesota Special. He didn’t want to break any agreed upon rules after all. A smile spread across his face as he admired his work. The stunningly spherical snowball simply sparkled. 

Hefting the snowball over his head with both hands, Ultra Magnus lobbed it directly at Rodimus. A look of fear crossed the speedster’s face like a passing shadow as the snowball hurdled towards him. Almost as quickly, his trademark bravado returned with a smirk. He flicked his golden spoiler and stuck his tongue out at Ultra Magnus. A split second before impact his armor flared with the light of a thousand suns. WHOOSH! Flames whirled around him, instantly reducing the flying snowball into a cloud of steam. 

“That’s not fair!” Ultra Magnus crossed his arms. “There’s nothing in the rules that allow fire-based defense tactics.” Did he really just say that? Pouting about rules in the middle of a game? Heat rushed to his cheeks. Rodimus is definitely rubbing off on him. 

“There’s nothing in the rules that forbids them either!” Rodimus grinned from the center of his inferno, wiggling his brow. “New rule! Use of any innate individual abilities are permitted. Or, as I like to call it: If you got it,” Rodimus pirouetted, his fire melting the surrounding ice and wreathing him in whirling mist. He halted abruptly on one foot, puffed out his chest, threw one arm up, then bowed with a flourish. “Flaunt it!” 

Ultra Magnus’ jaw dropped. He stared at Rodimus, flames dancing along his armor, reflecting shining points of light off his metalflake paint, ice vaporizing all around him. Before he could stop himself, he started to laugh, again. Rodimus had a very valid point. Ultra Magnus wasn’t sure how to admit it but he enjoyed their playful banter regarding the proper application of the rules more than the actual snowball fight. Although, Rodimus' latest legal loophole only strengthened his resolve to win. He had a title to protect! 

“Very well then,” Ultra Magnus nodded, “Use of all unique abilities and skills are permitted.” He stooped to gather a heaping armful of snow, not even bothering to form it into a ball. If any case called for a Snow Tsunami, this was it. He slowly sauntered towards Rodimus. 

“Oh no, you don’t!” Rodimus gleefully reached down to gather some snow. His optics widened in terror as the snow hissed into steam at the touch of his hot hands. “Ahhhh!! No fair! No fair! No fair!” He laughed and took off running, shaking his limbs in a frantic attempt to cool his super-heated armor. 

Ultra Magnus quickly gave chase. A few bounding strides brought him easily within striking distance. He tossed his Snow Tsunami at Rodimus. While most of the avalanche hissed away in a swirling cloud of steam, the very last bit of snow plopped onto Rodimus’ cooling helm. 

“That’s a point for me!” Ultra Magnus declared. The amount of smug satisfaction that warmed his spark surprised him. 

Not to be outdone, Rodimus vaulted forward, diving into a snow drift in a desperate attempt to lower his temperature back to normal. He popped back up with a snowball in each hand. Ultra Magnus easily dodged the first one which Rodimus tossed wildly with his left hand. The second plastered him square in the chest when a chirp from his chronometer caught his attention. “That’s a point for me too!” Rodimus shouted triumphantly, bobbing his shoulders and shimmying his hips in an adorable victory dance. 

“It’s almost time for Crankcase to pick us up,” Ultra Magnus double-checked his schedule. 

“Aww! Come on! The Scavengers are ALWAYS late.” Rodimus whined. His spoiler twitched and a mischievous light shone in his crystal blue optics. “New Rule! Since we’re probably tied for points-” 

“Actually, I’ve kept careful count and the score is-” 

“Like I said,” Rodimus cut him off with a wave. “We’re probably tied for points. Obviously, we need to go to Sudden Death Overtime!” 

“New rules?” Ultra Magnus perked up, more excitement creeping into his voice than he intended. 

“I knew you’d love it! This one’s for all the marbles, Mags. Next one to get hit by a snowball loses! Then we’ll triple check the mineral samples and be totally ready for pickup with time to spare!” 

“Sounds good to me.” Ultra Magnus cracked his knuckles. “The Ultimate Snowball Champion-” 

“Is what you’re gonna call me!” Rodimus gestured towards himself with both of his thumbs. “Ready, Mags! 3, 2, 1, GO!” 

At the count of three, they both took off in opposite directions. Rodimus leapt behind his disheveled snow fort and crouched out of sight. Ultra Magnus bounded towards the rocky ledge where they had harvested a few strange glowing crystals. The jagged outcropping was the only formation in the area remotely large enough to shield his massive armored frame. 

Rodimus wouldn’t have suggested this rule if he wasn’t reasonably sure of victory. If Ultra Magnus wanted to preserve his cherished title of Snowball Champion, he’d have to think fast. 

He knelt down behind the exposed rock, leaving just the tips of his tall shoulders peaking up over the ridge. Then he activated the emergency escape hatch. A sly grin spread across his irreducible face as he climbed out of both the Magnus and Ambus armors. The trap was set! Using the empty armor as bait, freed him to sneak up on Rodimus for the win. 

Minimus ran his fingers along his distinct Ambus family facial feature while quickly contemplating his options. He wanted to creep up behind Rodimus undetected, but the deep snow would slow him down, unless... The need for haste overrode his common sense, and Minimus spun his transformation cog for the first time in millennia. His green and white plating smoothly shifted from bot mode into his tiny turbofox alt mode. Using his powerful hind legs, he sprang from his perch on the Magnus armor and landed on a low, icy ledge. He narrowed his optics and flashed a canine grin as he scampered towards where he had last seen Rodimus. 

As Minimus stealthily rounded the corner of the rock formation, he found Rodimus cautiously sneaking towards where he left the edge of the Magnus armor exposed. Rodimus already had a perfectly formed snowball in his golden hands. His tongue curled out of the corner of his mouth in concentration as he slowly drew his arm back to line up his shot at the armor’s shoulders. 

Minimus’ crimson optics flared. If he didn’t make his move now, Rodimus would win! Without thinking, he scooped up a tiny amount of snow in his canine paws, quickly compacted it, and whipped it Rodimus’ back. His loadbearer strength provided more than enough force for his snowball to cover the vast distance to its target. 

PIFF! The petite snowball hit Rodimus just below his spoiler and exploded into a flurry of shimmering powder. 

“Oh no! You got me!” Rodimus wailed, dramatically clutching his chest and collapsing face first into the snow. “Nice one, Mags! Guess you’re still the Ultimate Snowball Champion! Good call using your armor as a distraction.” 

Minimus sat back on his haunches, wagged his tail, and chuckled. Victory felt pretty good. “I believe the rule was called ‘If you got it, flaunt it’!” 

“Kudos for remembering!” Rodimus rolled over and sat up. “When I made that rule, I thought-” 

When he looked up at Minimus, he stopped mid-sentence. Rodimus just stared, smile slowly growing and sparkling blue optics widening. 

“Rodimus?” Minimus asked, worried that the cold had finally got to his fiery co-captain. Maybe his brain froze or his relays malfunctioned. “Is everything alright?” 

“MAGS!” Rodimus gasped, spoiler bouncing with glee. “Primus! You. Are. SO. CUTE!!” 

“Cute?” Minimus tilted his head to one side which set to Rodimus to squealing. “What are you talking about? Is that any way to-” He waved his paw... PAW?! All Minimus’ circuits locked up. He was still in his turbofox alt mode. In his hurry to throw the winning volley, he never transformed back. 

Minimus’ vent fans ramped up. No one has ever seen his true alt mode. Not even Dominus. In desperation he attempted to transform but his plating wouldn’t budge. Ice jammed up all his joints. He was stuck. 

The grinding shriek of a slipping transformation cog snapped Rodimus out of his euphoria. He changed emotional gears as fast as he does everything else, instantly sobering up. “Mags? Are you okay?” He asked softly. 

“I’m stuck!” Minimus snapped. Part of him wanted to run away but he couldn’t get his legs to cooperate. He needed to change, to run, to do something. Instead he curled up and hid his face behind his bushy tail. “I can’t change back.” 

“Stuck?” Rodimus waded through the deep snow towards Minimus, reaching out with both hands. “Let me help.” 

“NO!” Minimus curled up tighter, flattening his pointed ears back. “I- I don’t like being- being handled.” Minimus closed his optics. How could he be so stupid? Now he was stuck in his ridiculous alt mode and Rodimus was going to be upset that he lost his temper. 

“No worries, Mags.” Rodimus said gently. Minimus’ ears twitched at the kindness softening his voice. He didn’t sound upset at all. Quite the opposite actually. 

Minimus peaked over the ruff of his tail to meet Rodimus’ cerulean optics and a smile that radiated more warmth than his innate flame ability. The speedster knelt down in the snow in front of him. 

“Here.” Rodimus bent even lower and patted the back of his shoulder. “I won’t touch you. Climb aboard. You can sit up there and I’ll warm you up while we walk back to your armor.” 

Minimus blinked. He devoted so much energy to hiding his irreducible alt mode, he never expected to be met with such compassion and understanding. Tentatively uncurling himself, Minimus stared at his co-captain, crouching down in the deep snow simply to help him. His spark twisted in his chest. 

“Come on! You know you want to!” Rodimus cajoled, radiating effortless charm. Minimus wondered if he could do that on purpose or if it just happened without him even realizing it. “Getting warm and returning to your armor at the same time accomplishes two goals at once. You’re all about efficiency!” 

“Well...” Minimus slowly raised himself up. Rodimus DID make a valid point about efficiency. “Since you put that way.” Minimus hopped onto Rodimus’ back and clamored up onto his shoulders, claws skittering across his highly polished finish. Since his sleek race car fenders made for an awkward perch, Minimus snugged around his neck. 

“Primus, Mags!” Rodimus shivered. “You’re freezing! No wonder you can’t transform. Good thing you got me!” Tiny flames raced across Rodimus’ spoiler and his armor glowed like a vibrant autumn sunset. The ice crystals in the seams of Minimus’ plating slowly melted, fleeing in delicate plumes of steam. Despite his unease over being trapped in his alt mode, Minimus relaxed, reveling in the luxurious warmth. 

Rodimus stood up, carefully balancing Minimus on his shoulders. As promised, he never tried to hold him. Only the steady crunching of the snow beneath Rodimus’ feet broke the silence as they trudged across the icy tundra. 

“Um... Mags...” Rodimus began quietly, eyes focused on the ground. “I...” The speedster deeply vented out a long sigh. “I want to apologize.” 

Minimus startled, his ears swiveling forward. “Whatever for?” 

“Umm...” Rodimus chewed his bottom lip. “When I saw your alt mode, I... reacted. I never meant to make you feel uncomfortable.” 

“Humph!” Minimus huffed and crossed his front paws. “I hardly need you help to feel uncomfortable in my alt mode. Why do think no one’s ever seen it?” 

“Yeah. But I should help you to feel more comfortable. You’re totally awesome no matter what form you use: armored, irreducible, or alt mode. I’m sorry. I mean it.” 

Rodimus glanced up with a slight smile. Minimus blinked. Judging emotions never was his strong suit, but even he could read the stark sincerity in Rodimus’ face. He truly wanted Minimus to feel comfortable in his alt mode. Everyone accepted his irreducible form as Minimus Ambus. Perhaps he didn’t need to feel ashamed of his beast form either. 

“Well, I suppose that I’ve been called worse things that ‘cute’.” Minimus shrugged. Although enough ice had melted out of his joints to allow his t-cog to function properly, Minimus no longer felt the imperative need to transform. He flexed his paws, admiring the flashes of orange from Rodimus’ fire reflected on his white plating. 

“Good! Because I’m not apologizing for saying that!” Rodimus grinned, his familiar charisma returning. “You ARE cute! In all of your modes! That’s just one of the few absolute truths of the universe.” 

“Wh-What?!” Minimus sputtered. A bright pink flush raced across his canine features, glowing vibrantly against his white armor. 

“And here we are!” Rodimus announced as they arrived at the Magnus armor, quickly changing the subject. The speedster knelt down near the emergency hatch on the back of the armor, stretching out his arm to provide an impromptu walkway. Minimus stood up and shook off the last of the ice, strangely reluctant to leave his perch on Rodimus’ shoulder. He felt so enjoyably warm, from the inside out. 

Prancing lightly along Rodimus’ arm, Minimus hopped back on to the Magnus armor. As soon as his paws hit the familiar blue plating, he spun his t-cog and freely shifted back into bot mode. 

“Feel better?” Rodimus smiled as his stood back up. “I knew you w- Whoops!” Suddenly his optics flickered and his knees buckled. 

“RODIMUS?!” Minimus dove into the Magnus armor and engaged all the controls with lightning speed. He reached out and caught Rodimus in his large armored hands before he collapsed. “What’s wrong?!” 

“Sorry bout that.” Rodimus shook his head to clear his circuits, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. “The flame thing burns up tons of fuel and I used it a lot today, starting with collecting the mineral samples. I guess a ran a little lower than I thought. It’s no big deal.” He tried to stand on his own and swayed on trembling legs. “I’m fine.” 

“No. You’re not.” Ultra Magnus sighed and rolled his optics. “But you’re going to insist that you are. And I am going to argue with you. Then you’ll protest further as you fall over in the snow. Why don’t we just cut to the chase and-” Ultra Magnus easily scooped up Rodimus with one hand. To his surprise, the speedster didn’t protest at all and simply nestled comfortably into the crook of his elbow. 

“Ahhh!” Rodimus stretched, relaxing in Ultra Magnus’ sure grip. “Thanks, Mags. This feels really nice. I think I will acquiesce to your offer of assistance.” 

“Hmm.” Ultra Magnus nodded in approval as his stood up to his full height and easily stepped over the rock ledge. “You HAVE been studying with Nautica.” 

“Hells yeah! I’ve got words for days! But enough about me! Let’s get back to our sample case so we can triple check all the labels.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“I promised we’d do it after our snowball fight. Today’s all about having a little fun. And we still have some time before Crankcase gets here.” 

“Now that you mention it,” Ultra Magnus checked his chronometer. “He’s already quite late.” 

“Told you!” Rodimus grinned, his smile a little crooked due to his exhaustion. “The Scavengers are always late. I bet Misfire did something goofy to delay him.” 

“I don’t know,” Ultra Magnus shrugged, careful not to jostle his tired co-captain. “My money’s on Spinister.” 

“Is that a bet?” Rodimus lit up. 

“Why not?” Ultra Magnus offered his free hand to Rodimus. “Loser buys the warm spiced energon as soon as we get back on board. I think you could really use some.” Now Ultra Magnus was certain Rodimus was rubbing off on him. He just made a wager with his commanding officer regarding which member of their crew was responsible for muddling their orders. That simple act broke several ordinances about the proper structure of the chain of command. However, the Autobot Code didn’t prohibit silly bets between friends. 

“Aw yeah!” Rodimus grasped Ultra Magnus’ much larger hand with both of his smaller golden ones and shook it vigorously. “I’ll take that bet! The way I see it, I win either way!” 

“Alright, alright,” Ultra Magnus chuckled as he gently set Rodimus down in the snow next to their sample case. “Let’s finish up our triple check while we wait.” 

They each started at opposite ends of the case, meticulously checking the collected minerals. Ultra Magnus pulled every sample completely out of the box, read the entire label for the third time today and then replaced it. He had expected a great deal of wailing and gnashing of teeth from Rodimus, but to his surprise, the flashy speedster simply followed his lead. 

Watching Rodimus try so hard to mimic Ultra Magnus’ attention to detail warmed his spark as much as his flames did earlier. A smile slowly spread across his great armored face. 

“Rodimus,” He began after replacing the last of the sample vials on his half of the case. “I want to thank you.” 

“Thank me?” Rodimus cocked his head to one side. “What for? I’m not even done yet.” 

“Not that. Well, not only that.” Ultra Magnus let his posture relax. “For everything today. I’m really happy that you wanted to spend some time together and I enjoyed everything that we did today. Honestly, and I can’t believe that I’m saying this, I had a lot of fun! So much so that I used my alt mode for the first time in forever. Your kind words even helped to put me at ease. I might even consider transforming from time to time.” 

“Really?!” Rodimus’ optics sparkled like the untold wonders of the universe. Sparks danced along his bobbing spoiler. His genuine smile quickly curled into something more mischievous. “Did you have so much fun that you’d like to do it again?” 

Ultra Magnus blinked, slightly taken aback. He did have fun today. Verity taught him so much about proper snowball types but he hadn’t used any of that knowledge in a long time. “You know what? I think I would like that very much.” 

“WooHoo!” Rodimus jumped up, promptly losing his balance. Ultra Magnus’ hand shot out to steady him before he landed face down in the snow. “Thanks for the save, Mags.” Rodimus’ leaned heavily on Ultra Magnus' arm. “I’m coming for that Snowball Champion title!” 

“Oh? Is that so?” 

“Hell yeah it is!” Rodimus grinned. “Do you think that you could teach me about some of the different types of snowballs next time?” 

“I’d be delighted.” Ultra Magnus smiled. 

“Ultra Minimus… sir?” Ultra Magnus’ com link crackled to life. 

“Fulcrum?!” Ultra Magnus narrowed his optics. “Where’s Crankcase?” 

“Ahh! Well- He- Um-” Static filled the airwaves as Fulcrum stammered. 

“Out with it!” Ultra Magnus commanded. Rodimus clamped his hands over his mouth in a failing effort to stifle his laughter. Ultra Magnus wrapped his arm around the giggling speedster and Rodimus nestled back into the crook of his elbow to listen to the unfolding story. 

“Eek!” Fulcrum squeaked. “Why do I feel like you’re looming over me when you’re not even here?!” 

“Did you tell him we’re on our way yet?” Crankcase muttered in the background. 

“We’re on our way!” Fulcrum yelped. 

“You’re late.” Ultra Magnus growled. “By a significant amount of time.” His tolerance for a total disregard of punctuality only goes so far. “Why?” 

“Ah! Well- You see- Ultra Miminus Magnus Ambus Sir-” Fulcrum stuttered. 

“Yes, those are my names. All of them.” Ultra Magnus deadpanned. Rodimus vibrated with suppressed giggles. Although it tickled Ultra Magnus’ frame, he struggled to keep any hint of laughter from his voice. 

“Oh, Primus.” Fulcrum vented deeply. “I can do this.” He mumbled under his breath. “Well, you see… Misfire wanted to have a snowball fight but thought it was too cold outside.” Thinking he won their bet, Rodimus squealed with glee. 

“He had Grimlock pile loads of snow inside the shuttle bay.” Fulcrum continued. “Then him and Grim teamed up against Spin and Fort Max. Things went along fine until Spin got the idea that the shuttle joined Misfire's team.” 

“Which is of course ridiculous.” Crankcase grumbled. “If Mighty Mega Shuttle joins anyone’s team, it would be mine. She’d never go around slumming it with the likes of Misfire.” 

“Anyways,” Fulcrum coughed. “Spin plastered the shuttle’s main control panel with a melty snowball. When we tried to take off, all the circuits fritzed.” Ultra Magnus jostled Rodimus. Clearly, Spinister was responsible for the delay, meaning Rodimus owed him a spiced energon. 

“Don’t worry about Might Mega Shuttle. I fixed her all up but it took a little longer than expected.” Crankcase interrupted. “We’ll be there shortly. Over and out.” The com link crackled once more then fell silent. 

“Hope you got a pocket full of shanix, Mags, because I totally won that bet!” Rodimus playfully elbowed him. 

“Pfft!” Ultra Magnus rolled his optics. “Did you hear Fulcrum’s story? Spinister's snowball, although it sounds like more of a slushball if you ask me, caused the malfunction that delayed the shuttle.” 

“Yeah, but the indoor snowball fight was totally Misfire’s idea. Meaning, I win!” 

“Hardly!” Ultra Magnus scoffed. “Misfire’s game may have been the catalyst for the delay, but Spinister caused the actual problem.” 

“I guess it’s a tie.” Rodimus shrugged. 

“A bet can’t end in a tie.” Ultra Magnus was curious as to how Rodimus would wiggle out of this conundrum. So far, he had devised creative, albeit unconventional solutions to every obstacle that they’ve encountered today from using his torch to quickly carve out samples of the impossibly dense crystals to allowing Minimus’ turbofox alt mode to perch on his shoulders without picking him up. He even danced a lively ballet around the rules during their snowball fight. 

“There’s only one fair way to resolve things.” Rodimus announced like Ultra Magnus had already agreed with whatever he was about to proclaim. “I’ll buy you a warm spiced energon and you buy one for me. Done!” Rodimus grinned, stretched, and settled comfortably against Ultra Magnus’ arm. 

“That seems a little unconventional, but I’ll agree to those terms.” Ultra Magnus nodded. Hearing the familiar hum of the shuttle’s engines echoing off the icy cliff faces, he gently lifted Rodimus as he rose. He gathered the sample case under his other arm and strode across the rumpled and melted snow from their snowball fight towards the clearing where the shuttle dropped them off several enjoyable hours ago. 

Reflecting on the day’s events brought the beginnings of a smile to tug at Ultra Magnus’ face. If someone had told him several years ago the unexpected direction his life would take, he would have never believed them. That one day his would join a crew of misfits and miscreants to follow the reckless charismatic captain nestled smugly in his arms into a completely new universe. That he would throw aside his entire constructed identity, including the Magnus armor, to live as his authentic self. That he would be so absorbed by a game that he revealed his long-hidden alt mode and felt strangely comfortable in it. That he could spend an entire day having f- fun. Hell, he’d have done more than disbelieve them. He would probably have arrested them on the spot for suspected substance abuse. 

As Rodimus tugged on his armor to enthusiastically point out the approaching shuttle, his grin grew broader. He didn’t understand anything anymore, but he never felt happier. Despite the inescapable chaos of daily life aboard the Lost Light, he wouldn’t change a thing.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thank you for reading!
> 
> I appreciate your kudos and love reading your comments!!
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at: [lush-specimen.tumblr.com](https://lush-specimen.tumblr.com/)


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